Latest news with #ClarenceSchmalzCup
Ottawa Citizen
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Napanee Raiders comeback falls one goal short
Article content A two-goal surge in the final 67 seconds of the second period boosted the Hanover Barons into a 4-1 lead and they survived a two-goal assault in the last few minutes of the third to beat the visiting Napanee Raiders, 4-3, and force a seventh and deciding game in their Provincial Junior Hockey League semifinal. Article content With the series now tied 3-3, Game 7 is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. and is expected to be played in front of a full house of 1,000-plus at Napanee's Best and Bash Arena. The winner will advance to the Clarence Schmalz Cup final against the Essex 73s, who beat the New Hamburg Firebirds in the other semifinal, 4-1. Article content Article content Napanee and Hanover traded first-period goals, with Raiders defenceman Erik MacNiel opening the scoring at 7:57 on a power play and Barons forward Mark McIntosh replying 15 seconds later. Article content Article content Curtis Arnold put Hanover up 2-1 at 6:12 of the second period, setting the stage for a late-period offensive outburst that proved to provide the Barons with enough goals for the win. McIntosh, with his second goal of the game and league-leading 21st of the post-season, scored at 18:53 and was followed at 19:59 by Ryan Colquhoun. Article content 'We were playing a very solid game and creating lots of chances in the second period … and in the last two minutes we made two mistakes that led to two goals, simple as that,' Napanee head coach Ben Hagerman said. Article content '(Hanover) is so powerful offensively that they do not need many chances to score, and as soon as we gave them too much time and space and allowed them to skate through the neutral zone, they were able to capitalize, and that was truly the difference in the hockey game.' Article content The score remained 4-1 until the last two-plus minutes of the third period. Napanee's Andrew Carr, at 17:13, notched his team-leading 17th marker of the post-season, and Michael Patrick, at 18:41, tallied to make it a 4-3 game and keep the Raiders alive. A head contact penalty to Christos Chronis 18 seconds later, however, ended the threat. Article content 'I was proud of the way the guys continued to play hard and push to create scoring chances,' Hagerman said. 'We actually had some really good opportunities to score before our second goal as well. After the third goal, we had lots of momentum, and puck possession … unfortunately we took a penalty and that made it really challenging to score.'
Ottawa Citizen
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Napanee Raiders one win from Schmalz Cup final following overtime victory
Article content The Napanee Raiders, in a game Sunday evening that checked a lot of the boxes suggesting a thrilling contest, moved within one victory of advancing to the Provincial Junior Hockey League Clarence Schmalz Cup final. Article content Consider the following that occurred during Napanee's 5-4 home-ice overtime win over the Hanover Barons that lifted the Raiders into a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven semifinal: Article content Article content • To ramp up the excitement early, the teams combined for five first-period goals (three by Napanee, two by Hanover) — the most in any single period of the series to date; Article content Article content • The lead changed hands four times — Napanee which held the first lead, 1-0, also went ahead 3-2 and 5-4, while Hanover took 2-1 and 4-3 leads; Article content • The Raiders' strategy of pulling goaltender Logan Vale for an extra attacker was successful, as Carter Hartwick tied the game 4-4 at 18:57 of the third period; Article content • Michael Patrick scored just 19 seconds into sudden-death overtime to give Napanee the win. Article content Patrick also added a pair of first-period assists for a three-point game. Article content Napanee captain Ben White opened the game's scoring at 6:46, before Hanover's Drayton Howell, at 9:53, and Mark McIntosh, at 10:52, scored power-play goals with Napanee defenceman Erik MacNiel off serving a kneeing double minor, lifting the Barons into a 2-1 lead. Article content Article content However, Matthew Airhart, at 13:40, and Blake Aylesworth, at 17:58, tallied to put the Raiders back in front, 3-2. Article content The lone two goals of the second period were scored by Coen Galbraith, at 0:23 and 18:07 of the middle frame, setting the stage for the third-period and overtime scoring heroics of Hartwick and Patrick, respectively. Article content Napanee head coach Ben Hagerman was, not surprisingly, more than happy with the Raiders' performance. Article content 'It was the first time we were able to generate a little more space for ourselves, getting to loose pucks and scoring on some rebound chances that hadn't been there before,' Hagerman said. 'Unfortunately, we took a four-minute double minor in the first period and they were able to get two goals on it, but we felt otherwise we controlled the play. The game was very back and forth overall. They really pressed in the second period and put us on our heels taking the lead, but we came out with a stronger third.'
